The theft of the shower trailer for the homeless from a local church parking lot was a devastating loss to the homeless community in Pasco County. More than ever our county has a burgeoning homeless community with needs most of us take for granted.

Fortunately, Leadership Pasco's recent graduating class recognized this need, and with the help of local businesses, churches, organizations and individuals, raised enough money to purchase two new shower trailers to be used by the Homeless Coalition. These trailers were ordered weeks ago, and hopefully will be in our community within the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, they were meant to supplement the trailer stolen by some heartless humans who placed their own needs above those of the truly needy. The new trailers were not meant as a replacement. Hopefully these thieves will abandon the trailer intact where it can be found and returned to the homeless.

Craig A. Laporte, Port Richey

Praise for Starwood

It seems appropriate at this time to express appreciation to David Ivin and Starwood for their outstanding professionalism and commitment to helping solve our community legal issues and ultimately uniting our great community as one.

It is absolutely rare, especially in this era of corporate greed, that a corporation such as Starwood is actually willing to support and unify a small community to help them to eventually be free of corporate interference and control. People and corporations are ultimately measured by what they do , not by what they say. Starwood, in its endeavor to give our community control of its own destiny, has already done more than they originally said or thought we needed to bring us together.

David Ivin, the man assigned to be in charge by Starwood, has already exhausted a $300,000 budget to handle all the legal mishaps of membership over the past 10 years and many other liability, management and ownership issues that have occurred at Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club.

If we had to replace or rebuild amenities, assessments show that it would cost us over $12 million. With Starwood's influence, our price is $3.5 million. If this isn't a fire-sale deal, then what is? One year ago we were looking at the current owner's offer to us: $6.2 million along with the included three-year charge of $350 for each member.

It is true that Starwood has reason to benefit from this enterprise. There are more than 350 building lots available that Starwood wants to sell to builders. They realize to make money they have to create an affordable, competitive environment. Our Master Association members and Starwood share a common interest: to lower amenity costs, to maintain and improve our facilities and amenities, and to keep stable and/or maximize our property values in changing economic times.

For the past 10 years, our community has been frustrated and angry over its inability to have any say or control over a nontransparent financial management arrangement. This is our chance, maybe our only real chance, to change our community by taking on ownership.

Roger Flaherty, San Antonio

Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club

PETA protest | June 11 article

Stop selling inhumane traps

Whether or not glue traps are illegal in New Port Richey, Lowe's should do the right thing and stop selling these miniature torture chambers.

Panicked animals caught in glue traps may rip out patches of fur and skin and even break their tiny bones in a futile effort to escape. If their faces become stuck in the glue, they suffocate to death. It can take animals days to die of starvation or dehydration. This does not meet anybody's definition of humane.

Mice and rats (and birds, which can become entrapped) may be small, but they still have feelings. No matter what crime they may have committed, they don't deserve to be tortured to death.

Robyn Wesley, Tampa

Sick day payout costing taxpayers

Pasco says good-bye to retiring teachers, 16 according to the list in the Times.

Do these teachers get the same retiring benefits that the resigned fire official in Pasco County gets? That is: Pay for unused sick days. Since salaried personal get paid a yearly salary that means they are paid for these days whether they work those days or take them off.

In other words, these retirees are being paid twice for the same day, which should be illegal. It would be interesting to know how much these unused sick days are costing Pasco County taxpayers.

Art Wilkins, Port Richey

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